Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) - Ronny Allan

Tag: Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a serious condition affecting the small intestine. It occurs when bacteria that normally grow in other parts of the gut start growing in the small intestine. That causes pain and diarrhea. It can also lead to malnutrition as the bacteria start to use up the body’s nutrients.

SIBO symptoms mainly affect the gut. They may include:

pain in the stomach, especially after eating
bloating
cramps
diarrhea
constipation
indigestion
regular feeling of fullness
gas

23Apr 2023 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Low FODMAPs – The NET Effect

Diet and Nutrition, Patient Advocacy, The NET Effect Series

Background Many people with NET have had issues prior to diagnosis and then continue to have similar issues after. For some it will be either one, i.e. no issues before but issues after or vice versa. However, it's even possible that some people have will have different issues after diagnosis than they had before, e.g. the side effects of the treatment will produce new problems for those people. In the early days, I once said to my Oncologist "I was never misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but I sometimes feel like I have it now". IBS is said to affect up to 1 in 7 of the 'western' population in varying degrees of severity with the symptoms of abdominal pain and abnormal bowel habits (constipation, diarrhea or a mixture…

10Mar 2023 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Fructose intolerance – the NET Effect

Diet and Nutrition, Patient Advocacy, The NET Effect Series

Background When I cast my mind back to my very first surgery, I remember all sorts of 'plumbing' issues but was told it would take a while for my adjusted plumbing to repair and do its work once more. It's not gone fully back to normal, but I accept minor side effects of getting rid of cancer (metastatic with small intestine NET primary). My diet is slightly different nowadays as I endeavour to return to that normality, and I have a good handle on what makes me move faster AND slower. Constipation is not good either, so I try to find a middle ground. I started taking pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in 2018 and often use that to offset a meal containing more fat than other meals, similar reducing dosages for lower fat…

05Dec 2021 by Ronny Allan 5 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer Diarrhea- building the jigsaw: Bile Acid Malabsorption

Diet and Nutrition, Patient Advocacy, Treatment

Before progressing, I wanted to emphasise this is not necessarily the same type of malabsorption caused by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) which can potentially lead to something known as steatorrhea (amongst other things) but it can produce the same effect. Steatorrhea is different from bile acid issues and is more related to fatty acids. But it's another piece of the diarrhea jigsaw. Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM) and Bile Acid Diarrhea (BAD)Post-surgical diarrhea is probably something to expect in the early days and after time, adjustments can be made to cater for these side effects. With NETs, particularly where there has been small intestine surgery, there can be a number of reasons which are totally unrelated to carcinoid syndrome. It's not just about having a shorter bowel, it's also about some of…

11Jan 2018 by Ronny Allan 29 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer and Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – the Digested Version (Nutrition Series Article 5)

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship, Treatment

After 7 years of avoiding pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) since diagnosis, I finally asked for some on a trial basis at the end of 2017. To be honest, for some time, I thought they were really only needed in the NET world for those with pancreatic issues (pNETs). I've always known I've had some digestive issues related to malabsorption. However, I'm not losing weight - this has been stable for some years (but see below). Plus, my key vitamin levels (B12 and D) were in range. However, I had been struggling with a lot of bloating issues, thus the trial. You know me, I like to research and analyse such things! I've actually written about a lot of these issues in my Nutrition series ..... so this is now 'Article…

18Oct 2016 by Ronny Allan 22 Comments

Did you hear the one about the constipated NET patient?

Awareness, Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship, Treatment

In my neck of the woods, "did you hear the one about the ........." is normally a precursor to a witty comment, or a joke. However, constipation for NET patients is not actually funny - read on.Certain types of Neuroendocrine Cancer are very heavily associated with diarrhea, either as a symptom of one of the NET Syndromes (yes there is more than one .....); or as a result of surgery or certain other treatments. Occasionally, these symptoms and side effects can all combine to make it quite a nasty and worrying side effect.I must admit to being surprised to find myself with feelings of constipation from around 4-5 years after my treatment and I set about trying to find out why that might be. To understand why I got to this…

02Aug 2016 by Ronny Allan 4 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Part 4 – Amines: Food for Thought?

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Patient Advocacy, Survivorship

Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Part 4 – Amines: Food for Thought? Reviewed and updated 11th July 2023 Background Nutrition is an important subject for many cancers, but it can be particularly important for many Neuroendocrine Cancer patients. When I started writing my nutrition series (listed below), I said that my intention is not to tell you what to eat, even though that might be a challenge for many, and this theme continues. The issue with Nutrition and Diet, in general, is that it's very individual and what works for one may not work for another. Often the the best diet for you is the one that works for you. I like to focus on why such things might have an effect - patients can then experiment and see what works…

27Aug 2015 by Ronny Allan 22 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Article 3 – Gut Health

Diet and Nutrition

Nutritional issues are one of the biggest challenges affecting most Neuroendocrine Cancer patients and nutrition and gut health can become more important issues. It is also a key factor in maintaining a decent quality of life and for most countries without adequate NET Specialist Dietitian support, it remains an unmet need. In this article, I'm discussing the use of probiotics to combat the potential issue of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in Neuroendocrine Tumours. When I first indicated this nutrition series was under construction, a few people got quite excited anticipating me to produce advice on what to eat. However, that was never my intention. What people should or should not eat is such a varied problem (or solution?) and that anything I said would only really be of help to those…

14Jul 2015 by Ronny Allan 20 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Article 2 – Gastrointestinal Malabsorption

Diet and Nutrition, Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer, Survivorship, Treatment

Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition Series Article 2 – Gastrointestinal Malabsorption is the second article in the Neuroendocrine Cancer Nutrition series. In the first article, I focused on Vitamin and Mineral deficiency risks for patients and there is a big overlap with the subject of Gastrointestinal Malabsorption. Those who remember the content will have spotted the risks pertaining to the inability to absorb particular vitamins and minerals. This comes under the general heading of Malabsorption and in Neuroendocrine Cancer patients, this can be caused or exacerbated by one or more of a number of factors relating to their condition. It's also worth pointing out that malabsorption issues can be caused by other reasons unrelated to NETs. Additionally, malabsorption and nutrient deficiency issues can form part of the presenting symptoms which eventually lead to a diagnosis…